The Trials
by Alice Brennan
Summary: To prove he is worthy, Morpheus, the God of Dreams, forces Severus to run his gauntlet to save his wife.
1. Chapter 1

**The Trials of Morpheus: Written for The Hunger Games Fanfic Style III, Training Round**

Morpheus's black suit and blue cloak was always a stark contrast against the worlds she created. This one was bright and rich with green grass and flowering trees. A beautiful clear lake stretched out in front of him. He could see pebbles glittering at the bottom and koi fish swirling around them. With each dreamscape she created he could see her talent flourishing right before his eyes. He couldn't be more proud.

Freya was the dream God's daughter, and she took after him in many ways. While anyone else might have been satisfied with the power to create whatever landscape their heart desired, Freya was not. Like Morpheus, her ambitions stretched beyond the limitations of her own abilities, and right now she could feel those limitations as clearly as she would have any physical restraints holding her back. She was sitting at the edge of the lake with her knees pulled up to her chest and her chin resting on top of them. She radiated discontent. He could feel it, even from a distance. Freya had gotten that 'gift' from her mother, as well as her violet hair and blue eyes.

Morpheus stood over her and looked down at what she was staring at. Freya's hand reached out and lightly touched the water, sending small ripples out from the point of contact. As the ripples slowed, a picture began to form on the surface of the water. No, not a picture, Morpheus realized in surprise. Freya had created a window to reality, so that she could watch what was happening on the other side.

"Haven't I given you everything you asked for?" Morpheus pointed out, "Why are you so sad, Freya? What is reality worth when you have the ability to live forever in your favorite dream?"

"I want to be able to see it for myself, like you can." Freya looked up at him and smiled, but Morpheus could see through it.

He was her father after all. He had mastered the illusion of charm before she had ever been imagined.

Morpheus sat down next to her, shoulder to shoulder. "Reality is a dark place, Freya, where some dreams are born, but most die. I don't want that for you."

"It's not all dark," Freya objected, reaching out to ripple the water again. The window shifted, soaring through a stormy sky until it reached a little shack outside of a looming, majestic castle. The owner of the shack, a large, bulky man with long hair and a thick messy beard peered down at something small trembling in his massive hands.

"A hedgehog?" Morpheus frowned.

"The man's name is Hagrid, and he loves animals. I've been watching him on and off for a while." Freya explained, "You said mortals destroy things they don't understand, but his favorite creatures are those most other witches and wizards are afraid of. He believes they're misunderstood and wants to take care of them. Look at him. From the tiniest creature to the largest, Hagrid protects them. That's not darkness, Dad. That's one of the brightest lights I've ever seen. It cuts through the darkness of reality like a knife." Morpheus watched as the man chuckled and stroked the hedgehog's spiny back, slowly calming the creature and winning its trust.

Freya reached out and moved the window again. This time it landed on a large family. Oversized, in Morpheus's opinion. Every single one of them had the most obnoxiously bright red hair he had ever seen. "You're not about to tell me the brightness of their hair also chases away the shadows are you?"

Freya laughed, "No, but look at them. Even when things get bad, they're always there for each other. It must be incredible to meet so many new people."

"To have so many people to lose," Morpheus countered.

"To have friends who are there for you no matter what." Freya said.

"Until they die." Morpheus pointed out, "That is the biggest fault with reality. No matter what good you find there, it all ends, Freya. Here you could live forever in whatever dream world your brilliant mind imagines. Nothing here could ever hurt you. You control it all. There, in reality, you will control almost nothing, and it will all end, most things even before you are ready to let them go."

"Is that what happened with Mom?" Freya asked, "She was mortal, wasn't she? Did you lose her before you were ready to?"

"Your mother stopped dreaming. The shadows of reality ate her alive until there was nothing left of her, and they will do the same to you if you go there." Morpheus warned.

Freya's eyes lit up. "So there is a way for me to go?"

"Of course, that would be all you got out of what I just said." Morpheus muttered.

"Dad, I want a real life. I want to meet new people and live in a place where I don't have control over everything. I want experiences. I want to laugh and hurt and wish." Freya insisted, "Besides, I'm not just mom's dream, I'm the daughter of Morpheus. No matter how dark it gets, I know there will always be a light just around the corner. The dark will only make our light shine brighter."

"You are ridiculously optimistic." Morpheus said in annoyance, "You did not get that from me."

"Clearly," Freya threw back with a smirk.

Morpheus laughed, "Yes. There is one impossible way you can go to reality, but once you do, Freya, I don't know for certain whether I will be able to help you return to the dreamscape."

"I won't want to," Freya replied confidently, "but if I ever need to, you will find a way to bring me back."

"I can't guarantee that," Morpheus insisted.

"Sure, you can." Freya said.

"And how do you propose I do that?" Morpheus demanded.

"You are a God and gods know everything." Freya points out, " How many times did you say that while I was growing up?".

"How many times did you incite me to say it?" Morpheus countered, "With all of that blasted curiosity and ambition stirring up your head, its no wonder you've grown bored with the dreamscape."

"Now that we're in agreement, how do I get there?" Freya presses excitedly.

"You're dreamborn, Freya." Morpheus sighed, finally giving in, "In order for a dream to become a reality, someone real must love it into existence. You must choose someone from their world, and somehow win their heart. They must love you unconditionally and want you more than anything. I am sorry, but you must literally be their dream come true."

"That's perfect!" Freya said, her eyes lighting up. I already know who can help me. Morpheus ran the palm of his hand over his face. That was not the reaction he was expecting. Disappointment seemed much more probable. He had been fully prepared to comfort her as she realized how impossible her ambition was. He had not, in the slightest, been prepared for excitement and an instant solution to the barrier. Freya ignored his reaction and made the window move again.

Morpheus's eyes widened when it landed. He recognized the castle dungeon the moment he saw it. "Absolutely not." He refused before the window even revealed the wizard. "He could never be who you need him to be."

"He loves unconditionally and his loyalty is incredible. Even foolish at times. He's already proven he's capable of it. Isn't that what I need to get me to his realm?" Freya pointed out.

"He is still hung up on a woman he met as a child. I know his story. She wasn't even his to love." Morpheus objected, "You need someone reasonable who will desire you, Freya. That man desires nothing but the past. Why not the zookeeper or one of the redheads. You seemed fond of them."

"I don't want reasonable," Freya insisted. "Severus is sacrificing his life to make up for a mistake he made years ago. That shows dedication and loyalty. That's what I want."

"That man will die for that mission, Freya. He is recklessly loyal, following a senile old man blindly and hoping it leads him where he needs to go to atone for his past, which is quite dark itself."

"What's the difference between what he's doing now and what we want him to do for us? To bring me out of the dreamscape, I need someone recklessly loyal who will follow the directions of my senile old father." Freya pointed out, trying to lighten Morpheus's mood.

"He will never love you, Freya. I forbid you from seeing him. Choose someone else." Morpheus refused, "Someone more realistic."

Freya hesitated before admitting, "I've already seen him. He's the reason I want to go."

"You what?" Morpheus demanded, his eyes narrowing.

Morpheus's anger only made Freya feel more defiant. She'd gotten that from her mother as well. "I've been visiting him in his dreams for weeks."

"He doesn't want you there, I assure you. It is an inconvenience. Nothing more." Morpheus objected.

"Sometimes he sleeps in a place called the Room of Requirement. It helps him remember his dreams. He doesn't want to forget me." Freya countered.

"He won't work," Morpheus refused again, but Freya only raised her voice to speak over him.

"At first he refused to acknowledge me, but then I saved his life and-"

Morpheus cut her off, "How did you save his life? You couldn't have. You're not real, and you're not supposed to interfere!"

"He was in danger and unconscious, so I went into his dream and I screamed at him to wake up." Freya explained.

Morpheus stood up to loom over her. He was furious that she had exposed herself to a mortal. He had told her not to interfere with the outside world. Freya jumped to her feet, refusing to let him use his size to intimidate her. Morpheus suddenly realized she wasn't going to back down from this one. "He's a master of the dark arts, Freya. He revels in it. He lives in a dungeon! You've only made him curious as to what you are, not who you are."

"He talks to me. He wants to see me when he falls asleep. I know he does." Freya replied.

"Its an escape from reality for him. He doesn't want you to be his reality." Morpheus snapped, "He is incapable of loving you, and you are incapable of going there without it."

"Test him, then. We'll see who is right about him." Freya challenged. It was her father's one great weakness. He couldn't resist putting the mortals through his gauntlet to see what their characters were made of. Some of them never completely recovered from it. This wizard would. She was sure of it.

"Test him?" Morpheus repeated, "You hate watching mortals struggle through my trials."

"He can make it. He's strong minded enough." Freya insisted, "Test his character like you tested mother's."

Morpheus is quiet for a long moment, and Freya braced herself for his refusal. Her hands clenched defiantly into fists and her heart raced.

"I choose the time and place and the trials he must endure." Morpheus agreed finally, "He will run my gauntlet, and you will not interfere, except in ways I instruct you to do so."

"He has to know his intended motivation." Freya said, "You can't make him run the gauntlet simply for the sake of watching him do it. He has to know why."

Morpheus laughed, "Yes, Freya, we will see if you are motivation enough for him to endure the gauntlet, but I choose how and when."

"Agreed," Freya smiled, "but I will continue visiting him until you're ready."

Morpheus stepped closer to her, trying to appear more intimidating that he felt at the moment. "Mortals are not like us, Freya. You will be nothing but a dream to him, and dreams mean nothing to mortals like him. Don't say I didn't warn you, love."


	2. Chapter 2

**Shrieking Shack-The battle of Hogwarts**

When the flask Harry held was full to the brim, and Snape looked as though there were no blood left in him, his grip on Harry's robes slackened.

"Look...at me..." He whispered.

Green eyes found the black, but after a second, something in the depths of the dark pair seemed to vanish, leaving them fixed, blank, and empty...

Severus gasped, his lungs desperate for air as he bolted out of bed. His legs tangled in the sheets, sending him to his knees.

"Severus!" A stranger's voice cried out.

Severus's fingers gripped the sheets around him as though they were his lifeline. Where was he? The shrieking shack was gone. He could still hear the Dark Lord's threatening voice. He could still feel Nagini's fangs piercing his skin. It had all vanished. Everything. His eyes darted around the room, as though any moment now the serpent would strike at him again. Instead of Naigini, a woman suddenly crouched down in front of him. She peered at him, but didn't touch him. She was careful to give him his space despite the concern in her eyes.

"Its ok," She whispered, "You're ok. Its over now."

"Who are you?" He demanded defensively. His dark eyes fixed on hers. Not Lily's green eyes, but an icy blue set beneath dark lashes in a heart shaped face. Dark violet hair fell around her shoulders and over the thin straps of her silky, dark green night gown. The longer he studied her, the more his memories of what had just happened in the shack faded. Severus's mind clung to it as reality, but the temptation of admitting it was only a dream was too much to resist. Finally, the world around him clicked into place in his mind. A dream. That's all it had been. Just a nightmare.

"Don't you know me?" She asked, studying him closely. Severus tensed as she reached out and stroked her fingers down the side of his face, chasing away the last remnants of fear. "I know you, Severus."

It was all coming back to him. He was home, safe, with his wife. "Freya," Severus breathed, reaching out for her and pulling her close. "Of course, I know you." He held her tightly against him as memories of their life together suddenly flooded his mind all at once. The way they had met in Hogsmeade just before the war. She had stayed with him through it all. She had saved his life, and he had married her soon after. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that if he didn't hold her tightly enough, she would disappear, and he would be back in that shack with Naigini. The nightmare flickered before his eyes, the shack overshadowing their bedroom before vanishing again.

"You had the nightmare again, didn't you?" Freya asked, concern filling her voice. "I told you not to forget your dreamless sleep potion." She said, as though she could hear his thoughts or feel his confusion.

"I will certainly remember it tomorrow night." He assured her. It had all felt so real.

"Its over now." She said, pressing her forehead against his. "You don't deserve to be haunted by your past forever, Severus."

Severus pushed his fingers through her hair and pulled her mouth to his. Freya wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

The world around him flickered again and suddenly he was back in bed. His heart raced and his hands clenched into fists. Something was wrong. Reality was changing. Time was moving faster than normal, and his mind couldn't keep up.

Freya stretched next to him, rolling over and resting her head on his shoulder. She stretched her arm across his waist. Severus wrapped his arm around her, almost instantly calmed by the contact. Something was wrong, but it didn't matter. So long as he had Freya he could face whatever this was. A single touch from her seemed to be able to soothe his mind and set things straight again.

Freya blinked open her eyes, reached up and traced his jaw line with her fingers. "I don't remember getting back into bed." Severus admitted in confusion.

"You wouldn't," Freya replied, "You fell back to sleep on the floor again. I put us to bed. I'm glad I didn't wake you. You needed your rest before your meeting today."

"What meeting?" Severus frowned.

"Didn't you say you were meeting with the Hogwarts board of Governors today?" Freya explained.

"Hogwarts board of governors..." Severus repeated. Something clicked in his mind, just as it had the night before. "Oh, yes. They want us to move back onto school grounds. They don't feel its wise to have a Headmaster who lives away from the school."

"That's irrational," Freya answered. "This is the perfect place for us. It is exactly between the school and our potions shop, and you're there every day anyways. You've never missed one." She pressed a kiss to his cheek. The feel of her lips on him made his skin tingle and his blood rush. He pushed her onto her back and leaned over her, his hand gripping her waist. He captured her mouth in a kiss. He could feel the palm of her hands move up his bare chest and around his shoulders, making him ache for her. He moved on top of her, pressing his knee between her legs and dropping his kiss to her jaw line.

"You're going to be late," Freya warned, even as her hips arched against his.

"Let them wait," Severus breathed, tugging up her nightgown. "I want you." He couldn't shake the feeling that if he didn't hold on to her, she would be gone. If he looked away from her, even for a moment, she wouldn't be there when he looked back. When he lost her, his whole world would be replaced by something too dark and painful for him to deal with. He could feel the truth of it in his bones. "I love you."

Freya hesitated, pushing gently against his shoulder, "I'm not going anywhere. You won't lose me. Go to your meeting, and when you get back, we will spend the rest of the day in bed."

"Is that a promise?" He smirked, studying her.

"I swear," She answered.

Severus buried his face in her neck. She was right of course. He was being irrational. She was his wife. If she had loved him enough to marry him, she wasn't going to disappear the moment he turned his head. They had already been through so much together. Every time he thought for sure he had lost her, she had only pulled closer to him. He hadn't even been able to chase her away with his snarky attitude. Love doesn't run. That's what she had said the night he'd tried to chase her away. The night he had confessed to her that he had been the one to kill Albus Dumbledore. Everyone else had turned their backs on him, but not her. She had refused.

"I love you," She whispered, wrapping her arms around his shoulders one last time before he pulled away.

"I love you," He answered as he reluctantly slipped out of bed and moved to their closet. He pulled out his best robes and began getting dressed. "And I fully expect you to be ready to fulfill that promise the moment I return." He smirked.

After straightening his robes and making sure he was presentable, Severus moved to the window. At some point in the night Freya must have cracked it open to let in some fresh air. A cool, gentle breeze was blowing their sheer cream colored curtains. The sky was a rich, welcoming blue, dotted with puffy white clouds. Perhaps he wouldn't hold her captive in his bed all day. The weather was perfect for the long walk up to their lakehouse. Freya loved to swim. When he found it last year, he couldn't resist investing in it for their anniversary. Movement down below caught his attention and Severus frowned. A man with a mess of long blonde hair and oddly triangular eyebrows stared back at him. He wore a sparkling blue cloak over a white dress shirt, a black vest, and dark trousers. His hands were covered with white gloves and holding a black tophat. He smirked at Severus as he lifted the hat back onto his head and continued down the street.

"Is something wrong?" Freya asked, sitting up in bed and leaning back against a pillow. "You look troubled."

"Everything is fine," He assured her, coming back to the bed. "I am simply baffled by what passes for stylish clothing these days."

"Says the man who has nothing in his closet but black and white." She countered teasingly.

Severus leaned over her and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Be careful while I'm gone." He sighed, "The war might be over, but the world is still filled with questionable personalities. Its not too late for me to stay home, you know."

"You'll have a good day at work," She laughed, playfully pushing him away. "I'm sure of it."

"Yes, well, at least I won't have to deal with dunderheads all day." He muttered, causing her to laugh again.

He looked back at his wife one last time and offered her a small smile before leaving for the ministry.


	3. Chapter 3

After she was sure Severus had left, Freya slipped out of bed, glanced down at her night gown and closed her eyes. A tingling sensation ran through her, and when she opened her eyes again, the nightgown had been replaced with dark jeans, a teal tank top and black combat boots. Her nightgown was folded neatly on her bed, waiting for her to return to it. "You can come in now," She called out.

Morpheus appeared in the doorway of her room, his arms stretched out towards her like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "My little girl, all grown up."

Freya rolled her eyes. "I haven't been little in a long time, Dad." She pointed out, pulling her violet hair over one shoulder.

"Perhaps," Morpheus replied, "but this is the first time I've truly seen you for the woman you are. It leaves me feeling quite proud and more than a little nostalgic. I despise feeling nostalgic." He frowned, "No matter. You've had your fun. I trust he knows now what's at stake."

"He believes I'm his wife. I gave him memories of our life together." Freya admitted.

Morpheus smirked, "And you don't believe he will feel betrayed when he finds out the memories are false?"

"He doesn't need to know that for the gauntlet." Freya objected.

"No, he doesn't, but that doesn't mean he won't know. Your abilities won't affect him if he wakes in his realm." Morpheus pointed out.

"We'll start over," Freya answered, "I won't be a dream anymore. We will both be real."

"If he survives the gauntlet at all," Morpheus pointed out.

Freya's heart skipped and anger flared up within her chest. "You won't hurt him. That wasn't our deal."

"We agreed he would run my gauntlet. I choose the trials. That was our deal." Morpheus countered, "Not everyone survives the gauntlet, Freya."

"Promise me you won't hurt him," Freya demanded, stepping up to him.

Morpheus laughed softly, "I promise...I will not...intentionally...sabotage him. On one condition." He answered, choosing his words carefully.

"What condition?" Freya asked.

Morpheus reached around her and snatched the nightgown off the bed. "You let me have this."

"Why? Need something prettier to sleep in?" Freya teased as Morpheus pockets it.

"You can always make you another one," Morpheus shrugged. "The truth is, Freya, your mortal must make his own choices. I will not hold myself responsible if he makes poor ones. If he is the man you think he is, he will pass, and if not, I have spared you the heartache." Morpheus smiled grimly, "You're welcome."


	4. Chapter 4

Severus found himself standing in the middle of the hallway at the ministry of magic with no memory of how he got there. Time was moving faster than what his mind could keep up with. It was almost as though his mind only filled in the gaps after he realized they were missing. He had no memory of going any further than just outside his doorstep, yet here he was, miles away. Severus stumbled against the wall and gripped his head as the hallway blurred around him. The world spun and was ripped away from him, replaced by a tiny room with white walls and a stench of death. His throat was in agony, the burning pain unbearable. He struggled to reach up and grab his throat, but he couldn't move his arms or hands. He was lying down and a mediwitch was leaning over him, saying something he couldn't hear. Darkness blurred the edges of his vision, creeping over him until the world went black.

Suddenly, a sharp pain in his knees jolted him back to reality. He was on his knees in the middle of the hallway, still next to the room he was supposed to enter through to meet with the board of governors. His throat burned horribly and his vision was still blurry around the edges, as though he couldn't quite bring it into focus. A pair of polished black shoes appeared in front of him. Severus's gaze shot up to their face to see who had found him, and a heavy sense of dread flooded through him. It was the same man he had seen outside his window that morning.

Severus tried to push himself to his feet, but he stumbled forward and the man stepped back away from him, letting him fall back to his hands and knees. "Who are you?" Severus demanded. His voice came out broken and not nearly as intimidating as he would have liked.

"That's not the right question." The man answered simply. He crouched down in front of Severus and tilted his head curiously. "The question is, why did she choose you? Don't worry, Severus, I will take good care of Freya while we find our answer."

"Stay away from her!" Severus snarled, stumbling to his feet and pulling out his wand.

The man in the top hat stood up and took several steps back, his eyes darting between Severus's wand and his face. Then he smiled broadly. "I bet I beat you home."

Before Severus could utter another word the man had vanished. His eyes widened and he took off down the hall. You couldn't apparate inside the ministry, but the man had vanished. Severus flew down the hallway into a long room with fireplaces lining the walls. Men and women in black robes were coming and going from all of them, but Severus rushed to the closest one. There was another man with a balding head headed straight for it, but Severus shoved him out of the way, grabbed a handful of floo powder and tossed it down into the fireplace. "Snape's Residence." Emerald Green flames burst up around Severus and swallowed him whole.

He reappeared in the parlor of his home and quickly rushed out and up the staircase. "Freya!" He called, his throat still sore from whatever had happened to him at the ministry. He didn't have time to wonder what it had been...whether it was real or he was going mad. A sickening feeling was curling his stomach and panic rose up in his chest. "Freya!"

He threw open the door to the room he shared with his wife. The man in the top hat, whoever he was, had indeed beat him here. He was leaning over Freya's sleeping form, his long fingers reaching out and caressing her cheek. "What do you think you're doing?" Severus spat furiously. The man whipped around, his eyes flashing, but Severus already had his wand pointed at his chest. "Get away from her!" Severus's eyes dropped back down to Freya, who had somehow managed to sleep through the whole ordeal...unless she wasn't sleeping at all...unless he had already done something to her. "Freya, wake up!"

"She won't wake for you," The man said simply, "At least not yet."

"What did you do?" Severus demanded, stepping closer to try to get a better look at her.

"Oh, we don't need her for this part. We'll just put her aside for a bit, somewhere safe, yes?" The man answered without answering the question. The man reached out towards her again.

"Stupify" Severus snapped, sending a bolt of red light from the tip of his wand towards the man's chest. The light reflected away from him before it ever reached him.

The stranger didn't even flinch It was as though he hadn't even noticed Severus had tried to stop him. His hand touched Freya's arm and Freya vanished.

"No!" Severus cried out, lunging at him. Morpheus stepped aside to dodge him, but Severus quickly turned with him, latching on to the collar of his dress shirt. "Bring her back!" He demanded, shoving him backwards until the man was pressed against the dresser. "Bring her back now!"

The man coughed, trying to push Severus's hands away from his neck. When he realized he couldn't budge Severus's grip, the man vanished, causing Severus to stumble forward into the dresser.

"Traumatic isn't it?" The man caughed from behind him. Severus whirled around to find him sitting on the bed, rubbing his throat. "It isn't the first time you've walked into a room and lost someone you cared for, is it?" Severus froze at the reminder. The man smirked at his reaction. "Oh yes, I know all about her."

"Who are you and what do you want?" Severus demanded, his eyes hardening and his hands curling into fists.

"If you attack me again, you will never see her again." Morpheus promised, eyeing Severus's hands. "If you do as I say, I imagine there is a good chance that you will be reunited with her." Morpheus stood up to face him. "You should make that choice before we go any further. You've had a taste of what it would be like to have her, Severus, but I still want to know, what would you do to keep her?"

Severus's expression had turned to stone, and he was quiet for a long moment. "Anything," He answered finally, "I would do anything to keep her."

"Is that a promise?" Morpheus asked, reminding Severus of the conversation he'd had with her just this morning regarding their plans for the day. He had been listening. Severus was certain of it.

"I swear," Severus answered. That's what she had said.

Morpheus's smile widened and he laughed softly. "I am Morpheus, the God of Dreams, and if you do as I ask, you might just win more than you deserve."


	5. Chapter 5

Severus wanted to kill him. After everything he had been through and whatever was happening to his mind now, he had little patience for men who liked to pretend they were Gods. What he really wanted to do was rewind back to this morning, crawl back into bed with his wife, and hold her until it all just stopped...but this man, Morpheus, had taken her away, so the next best thing to that was probably just killing him.

He wouldn't though. He couldn't. Not when Morpheus was the only one who knew where Freya was. He would go along with whatever ridiculous plan Morpheus had to flaunt his power over whatever Morpheus wanted to flaunt over. He would play faithful servant once more, but this time would be different. He wouldn't fail her like he had failed Evans. He would get Freya back...and then he would kill Morpheus.

"I am yours to command." Severus answered, meeting Morpheus's gaze and willing him to believe the lie.

"No, you're not," Morpheus laughed, as though Severus had just told a joke, "That's a good one. You will do this for me though, because I do believe you care for her, in your own little mortal way. I simply don't believe it is enough. Prove me wrong, Severus. That is your goal today."

"How would you like for me to prove that, my Lord?" Severus asked in confusion.

"Drop the 'my lord' act. My name is Morpheus. You will call me by my name."

"As you wish, Morpheus." Severus agreed.

"I have set before you four trials. They will begin the moment you step foot outside your bedroom door. Pass them, and I will reliquish Freya. Fail them, and you will never see her again." Morpheus promised, "Not even in your dreams."

"What trials must I face?" Severus asked, studying him. There was nothing nervous or uncertain about Morpheus. He exuded confidence. Morpheus truly believed what he was saying.

"I have stolen your bride, Severus." Morpheus smiled, "Come and get her."

Morpheus opened the door for him, waiting for him to go first. On the other side of the door the house had changed. It was no longer the hallway leading to the staircase that he had walked up, only moments before. Now the door led to a shadowy stone chamber with a large crevice in the center of the floor. "After you," Morpheus said politely, motioning for Severus to enter the room before him.

He gave Severus a moment to study his surroundings before speaking again. The first thing Severus noticed was the smell. A horrendous stench seemed to be coming from a river of something vile and blue. It flowed freely out of a tunnel at one end of the crevice and into another on the other side. A narrow bridge was the only way to cross to a small wooden door opposite them. There was nothing else here.

"I thought a dungeon would be appropriate since you've spent most of your life in one." Morpheus explained. "I must warn you, once you cross the bridge you can't come back. The water-"

Severus cut him off. "That is not water."

Morpheus laughed, "No, it is definitely not water. Once you cross that bridge it will begin to rise. You will have no choice but to go through the door, and it will block the door behind you so you won't be able to turn back. I have to be certain of your decisions. People get hurt when you don't keep your word."

"This is where you sent Freya?" Severus asked. He loathed the thought of her being trapped in a place like this. He had to find her and bring her home. No, not home. After this they were moving. They would leave the country, if they had to. Severus wasn't sure if he could survive serving another "God". The first one had nearly killed him.

A searing pain shot through Severus's throat, just as it had at the ministry, when he'd had the vision of the mediwitch. He tried to lift his hand to his neck, but Morpheus grabbed his wrist. "You will want to focus, Severus. These trials are all about the decisions you choose to make and the way your mind works. I would hate for you to lose Freya because your mind was elsewhere."

Severus jerked his wrist from Morpheus's grasp and glared at him. "I know what is at stake. I will be focused. Is this where she is? If I make it to wherever you are leading me, will she be at the end."

"Yes," Morpheus answered finally, "Freya will be at the end."

"May I ask, where exactly we are?" Severus continued.

"This is my home. Not all of it, of course, but the dungeon has been transformed specifically to meet your needs. You're welcome." Morpheus explained, as though he had done Severus a tremendous favor.

Severus wanted to object and point out that none of this mess met any of his needs, but he resisted. He had pushed Morpheus's patience already. He had typically found it best to keep his temper to himself during times like these...at least until he could use it to his advantage. "What is my goal?"

"Get to the next chamber without dying." Morpheus answered simply.

"Easier said than done, I presume?" Severus muttered.

"Precisely," Morpheus replied. "Not having second thoughts already, are we?"

Severus narrowed his eyes at him. When this was over with, he would make Morpheus wish he'd had second thoughts. Without another word Severus began walking out towards the bridge.

"I'll take that as a no," Morpheus smiled gleefuly.


	6. Chapter 6

Severus glanced back to where he had been, but Morpheus had already vanished again. He took a step out onto the bridge, watching the blue goop beneath him gurgle and slop against the walls of the crevice. There had to be more to this than simply walking over the bridge. A man like Morpheus wouldn't make this so simple.

The moment his foot touched the first stone, the ground began to rumble. The river sloshed around beneath him and began to rise. Severus rolled his eyes. It was rising so slowly that there was no way he wouldn't make it to the door in time.

By the time Severus had made it to the other side, though, the rumble had grown louder. Severus could hear something roaring on the other side of the door and the noise sent a chill through him. That couldn't possibly be what he thought it was. Severus braced himself as he gripped the handle of the door and pulled.

The door didn't budge. Severus's eyes widened. He glanced over his shoulder at the river, which was more than half way to the top now. Soon, whatever that was would seep over the edges and begin making its way towards him. Severus pulled out his wand. "Alohomora," He says. He pulled the door again. It still didn't budge. Another roar and a loud crash came from the next room.

"Aberto!" Severus snaps. His wand suddenly vanished from his hand, and Morpheus's laughter echoed through the chamber. Severus cursed under his breath and turned away from the door, his eyes scanning the chamber. There had to be a nonmagical way to make it though the door, some sort of key. Severus was beginning to think that, perhaps, he had underestimated Morpheus's intelligence.

He moved back towards the bridge as the ground began to tremble. There were stone posts at each corner of it. Severus studied them closely for any place one might hide a key, but nothing looked out of the ordinary. The blue muck gurgled, and Severus had to cover his nose as the fumes reached him. The stench burned his throat from this close. Whatever that was, it was also more dangerous than Severus had first thought. He glanced down at it, and something glinted from within the crevice. The inside walls were jagged and uneven. On one of the tiny ledges within the crevice, there was a key with a green strip of silk tied to it. Green silk, like the nightgown Freya had been wearing that morning. At the rate it was rising, it wouldn't be long until the river covered the key. Severus quickly dropped to his knees and reached for it, but his arm wasn't quite long enough. He would have to lie on his stomach and lean over the edge in order to reach it. The closer he got to the muck the more his skin began to burn.

"Its acidic," Severus murmured in horror. The moment it touched the key, the key would disolve. He would be trapped here. Severus leaned further over the ledge, stretching his arm as far as it would go. If he leaned any further over, he could fall in, especially with the way the ground was shaking. Only the tips of his fingers could reach it. The acid was burning the edges of the silk now. Severus carefully used the tips of his fingers to pick it up. The floor began to shake and the acid rose faster. The key slipped from his fingers. Severus's other hand darted out and caught it just before it hit the acid. His fingers brushed the acid and Severus cried out, jerking his hand back to his chest and throwing himself away from the ledge. It had barely touched him, but his skin was sizzling.

Severus stumbled to his feet, ignoring the pain. The acid had reached the edge and was making its way towards him at an alarming rate. Severus's heart raced in his chest as he slipped he key into the lock. For a brief moment of terror, the door still didn't budge. Severus jerked hard on the door and it finally opened, the hinges squeeling loudly from disuse.

The moment the door opened it vanished, leaving only the empty doorway as the roaring that had been coming from the other side quieted. Severus's eyes widened as three hungarian horntails all turned their attention on him.

"You can't be serious," Severus said, his eyes widening as the dragon closest to the door reared its head back.

Severus dove to the side just as the dragon opened its mouth and let loose a long bolt of flames straight at the ground where he had stood only moments before. The flames left scorch marks on the stone. The river of acid that was flooding in this chamber wasn't far from him now. His options were clear. Burned alive by the acid or the dragons. Neither one sounded very pleasant to him, but only one could possibly lead him to Freya. Severus instinctively reached for his wand to cast a fire resistance charm over himself, and cursed when he remembered how it had vanished from his hand. Morpheus intended for him to do this without magic

Severus peeked around the corner into the enormous room. All of the dragons were chained to the floor and the one furthest from him was blocking another wooden door. That was where he needed to go. As the dragon closest to him shifted, Severus caught sight of a small, stone table. A long silver sword glinted from a nest of green silk. The key to the door had been tied to a similar, smaller strip of green silk. Morpheus was leaving him clues marked with ripped pieces of freya's nightgown. Severus's eyes darkened at the implications, and a sense of urgency fell over him. Dragons or not, he had to make it to Freya. Severus braced himself, and darted around the corner, headed straight for the sword.

The spiked red tail of the first dragon swooped at him. Severus ducked, barely dodging out of the way fast enough. The dragon roared in annoyance, rearing its head back again just as Severus reached the sword. His fingers closed around it and the dragon let loose another round of scorching flames right at him...and they went straight through him as though he were a ghost. Severus gasped, clutching his chest. He felt no heat, except from the burn he had sustained from the acid. His robes weren't even singed. Much to his disbelief, he was fine. The sword was enchanted as well. Severus let out a sigh of relief just as the dragon's tail swooped out again, colliding squarely with Severus's chest and sending him flying across the room. Severus landed with a thud, the breath knocked out of him. He struggled to take in oxygen and the sword clattered to the ground a few feet away.

Severus barely had time to recover as the second dragon roared at him. He scrambled for the sword as more flames flared towards him, his fingers barely touching it in time to save himself. The dragon lifted its foot and Severus rolled away, tucking the sword against his body as the dragon's foot landed where he'd just been.

He'd had enough. Severus stood up, just as the dragon swung its tail at him again, and swung the sword. The sword collided with the dragon's tail, jarring Severus and making him stumble back. At first Severus wasn't sure whether his attempt to defend himself had done any good, but as the dragon reared its head back to shoot flames at him again, the dragon turned to ash. The ash rained down over him, coating his hair and robes and Severus smirked, turning his gaze towards the dragon closest to the second door. The third dragon roared furiously as the one behind Severus shot another bolt of flames towards him. Once again, he felt nothing. Severus charged at the third dragon. The dragon roared again, pulling frantically at the chains that bound it to the floor. Severus hesitated in surprise. It wasn't lashing out at him, it was trying to escape from him. Severus took a step closer and the dragon reared its head back, not to attack him, but in fear. He was sure of it. There was nothing he knew better than fear. He had lived it for years while playing double agent for the Order of the Phoenix, and then for years after when the memories turned to night terrors.

His vision blurred at the edges and he lifted his hand to his throat as pain shot through him. The face of that same mediwitch flashed before his eyes and Severus felt a heavy pressure in his chest. He struggled for breath. "No!" He snapped. He couldn't lose his focus now. Not when so much was at stake.

When his vision cleared again, Severus stumbled back. The dragon had lowered its head until it was only inches from him and the sudden closeness startled him. Severus lifted the sword and prepared to swing, but hesitated as his gaze met the Dragon's icy blue eyes. He knew those eyes. "Freya?" He gasped.

The dragon roared, rearing its head back again, pulling at the chains. Severus lunged at them, swinging the sword at the heavy metal until they collided with a loud clang. The chains broke and Severus ducked as the dragon flung out its wings.

There was a blinding flash of light. Severus threw is arm up to protect his eyes. As the light faded, Severus slowly lowered his arm again. As his eyes adjusted, horror flooded through him. The chamber and the dragons had vanished. Now he was in the tunnels, just beneath the shrieking shack.


	7. Chapter 7

When the sword collided with the chains, it must have triggered some sort of portkey. It was the only explanation Severus could come up with. It took his eyes a few moments to completely adjust, but he knew these tunnels almost as well as he knew the castle. Severus glanced down the tunnel in both directions. It was empty, but a dim glow was coming from the direction of the shack. Considering the nature of the first two trials, this didn't surprise Severus at all. Of course, Morpheus would choose the place Severus had almost died. What better way was there to decide whether he had improved at all since then?

Severus slowly made his way towards the shrieking shack and lifted the trap door. He quickly scanned the room before pushing himself the rest of the way up. Whatever waited for him here, Severus didn't want to be caught off guard by it. He slowly made his way through the shack, looking for any indication of what Morpheus's next trial would be. Dust coated everything, and more than once, Severus wished he had his wand back to light up the darker corners. He felt naked without it.

Severus hesitated when he reached the room where the Dark Lord had turned on him at the Battle of Hogwarts. There was still a large blood stain on the floor where he'd fallen when Nagini had attacked him. Severus could still feel the ache in his throat. He lifted his hand to the scar that had never truly faded. He still had night terrors about that night, when he forgot to take his dreamless sleep potion.

"Traumatic, isn't it?" Morpheus said, suddenly appearing in the door way behind him.

Severus quickly turned to face him. "Why am I here?"

"This was the moment that changed everything for you, was it not? In more ways than one." Morpheus explained, walking around the room. He made a face at the dusty furniture before continuing. "This was the moment your debt was finally paid. The moment you gave Potter the secret to defeating your Dark Lord. The moment you first owed Freya a life debt, because she was the only person decent enough to try to save you. I wonder...if she hadn't come for you...would you still be fighting for her now?"

"What do you want, Morpheus?" Severus demanded impatiently.

Morpheus laughed, turning back to him, "Oh, I will get what I want in my own time. This moment is all about you. I have a gift for you, Severus."

"A gift?" Severus repeated in disbelief. "All I want from you is the return of my wife."

"This is a much better gift." Morpheus promised, "Come with me." He turned and left the room without waiting to see whether Severus would follow. Severus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The man's ego was infuriating. Severus stepped out of the room. Morpheus had already disappeared, but he'd left footprints in the dust. It wasn't hard for Severus to follow them down the hall and into the bedroom. Morpheus towered over a familiar figure kneeling before them on the floor, his hands bound behind his back.

Severus froze. The man was staring down at the floor, his face hidden by a mess of dark hair, but Severus would have known him anywhere. This man had done everything in his power to turn Severus's time at Hogwarts into a living hell. "What is this?" Severus demanded. His instincts told him this had to be a trap. This couldn't be who he thought it was. That man was dead. This was a kid.

"Your gift of course," Morpheus answered, taking the man by his hair and forcing him to look up. "James Potter. The bane of your existence, at your mercy. You're welcome."

"What sort of fool do you take me for? James Potter is dead. Even if he weren't, he would be in his thirties at this point. Whoever this is, he is only a child." Severus objected.

"Take a closer look," Morpheus encouraged him, letting the boys hair go and crouching down next to him. The boy looked terrified, but didn't move. His eyes were glued to Morpheus. "Do you know who this is, boy?" Morpheus asked him, motioning towards Severus.

"Let me go and maybe I won't hex you to bits when I get out of this." James snapped at him.

Morpheus only smiled. Before either of them could react, a black leather rope suddenly appeared out of no where and wrapped itself tightly around James's throat. James's eyes widened in horror as he gasped for breath. The more he struggled the tighter the rope got, until his face turned a bright red.

"Stop," Severus objected, taking a step closer. He didn't know what he intended to do, or what he even could do, but he couldn't just stand there and watch Morpheus strangle the boy.

Morpheus tilted his head towards the boy and the rope loosened, just enough to enable him to gasp for breath. "Let's try again, shall we? Look at my friend."

For a moment the boy didn't move. Severus stepped forward and took the boy by his hair, jerking his head back to force him to look at him. The idiot was going to get himself killed.

"Much better." Morpheus nodded at Severus in approval, "Now James, what do you think my friend's name is?"

Terror flashed in his eyes as James looked up at him, and truly saw him for the first time since Severus stepped into the room. "Snivellus!" James gasped.

Severus jerked his hand back as though the word had burned him. "It can't be..."

"But.." James stuttered, "But...you're old!"

"But it is," Morpheus answered, standing back up to face Severus. Morpheus spread his arms, a smirk firmly on his face, "I'm a God, remember?"

"Why?" Severus demanded.

Morpheus frowned, "I don't know, really. I suppose when I was born all of this brilliance was just too much for a mortal body to handle, so I ascended into the heavens to take my rightful place."

"No," Severus snapped, jerking his head towards James. "Why did you bring us here?"

"Oh, that." Morpheus smiled, "This is all, truly, my gift for you, Severus. Think of the possibilities."

"Possibilities?" Severus repeated.

"You, as a teenager, are safely in the castle. No one would ever suspect you. I am giving you the ability to change your entire life." Morpheus pointed in the direction of the room where Severus had nearly died, "That moment, that traumatic tragedy, never has to happen, Severus. This boy destroyed your life. He dedicated years to making you miserable, and then his brat spent years continuing his fathers work." Morpheus stepped closer to Severus, lowering his voice and meeting Severus's gaze so that there could be no mistaking what he was suggesting. "You could end all of that here, before it ever gets out of hand. Without James Potter, you will never have to play double agent out of guilt, no Harry Potter to sacrifice your life for. Lily Evans, will never become Lily Potter. Incredible, unfathomable possibilities. You're welcome."

Severus looked at James, trying to imagine what his life would have been like without him. His chest felt tight, as though he couldn't take a deep enough breath. As though every nerve in his body was on high alert, waiting for him to decide the boy's fate.

It was true, what Morpheus said, James had gone out of his way to make Severus miserable when they were in school together. It was so long ago now, but the memories still felt fresh and new. Severus was capable of murder. Dumbledore showed him that..."What would change in my life, if, after this moment, you were no longer in it." Severus murmurs, grabbing James's chin and forcing him to look at him again.

"Lily," Morpheus smiled, "Lily would change."

"Lily," Severus repeated. Lily wouldn't be tempted to marry James, if James was dead. Harry Potter would have never been born, and Lily would have been safe, no longer associated with the prophecy that made them targets for the Dark Lord. He wanted that. Lily safe. That's what Morpheus was offering him.

Morpheus stepped up next to him and offered Severus his wand. "This bit, you can use magic for."

Severus reached for it, his fingers wrapping around it. Severus knew exactly what spell he wanted to use to end Potter's life. He'd had plenty of time to consider it, after all.

"Please," Jame whispered, pleading now. It brought a smirk to Severus's face, but when he turned back to James, Severus hesitated. Despite how much he thought he wanted it, something about this felt wrong. There was more to it than Lily being safe. It hadn't been James that had made her hate him. Lily had often stood up for him against James. It was his own choices that turned her against him, and there was nothing stopping him from making those choices again. As a teenager, he hadn't understood the consequences of his decisions the way he did now. Lily was a strong supporter of the Order of the Phoenix. Even without the prophecy, the Dark Lord would have wanted her dead, and Severus would still have been a deatheater. Without the Potters, the Dark Lord would have won the war. Nothing would change for the better. Nothing that Severus wanted to happen. Severus's gaze shot back towards Morpheus as a sudden realization hit him. This wasn't a gift for him at all. This only served Morpheus.

"If I do this, the Dark Lord will never turn against me?" Severus asked, studying him.

"He would never have reason to." Morpheus agreed.

"What happened here in this shack never would have happened?" Severus continued.

"You're welcome." Morpheus answered, a smug look on his face that Severus was itching to hex right off of him.

"Including what happened with Freya," Severus finished. Anger flashed through him as Morpheus's eyes narrowed, and that was enough for Severus to know he was right. Morpheus had said this was the moment that changed everything. Freya had saved his life that night. She had advocated for him while he was in St. Mungos. She had fought for him. Killing James Potter would change all of that.

"You would have never have owed her a life debt." Morpheus pointed out.

"I didn't marry her because of a life debt." Severus snarled.

"Don't be a fool, Severus," Morpheus objected, "Think of Lily."

"Lily?" Severus repeated furiously, "Think of Lily as I murder the man she's fated to spend the rest of her life with? Think of Lily, while I ensure her son, who ended the biggest threat the wizarding world has ever known, is never born? It wasn't Lily who was at my side when my allies turned against me. Freya chose that. It was Freya who pulled my body from this house after the Dark Lord attempted to kill me. Freya chose me, and was so certain of her choice that married me."

"Severus, think about this," Morpheus objected his eyes flashing angrily, "A gift like this only comes once in lifetime."

Severus was barely able to contain his rage. He waved his wand at James, sending him flying across the room. His body hit the wall with a sickening thud, but he was still alive when he hit the floor. "I don't want your gift. Let him go, and give me my wife!"

"She's not even your wife!" Morpheus snarled, finally losing his temper.


	8. Chapter 8

Morpheus grabbed Severus's arm as his vision blurred. The world spun, and Severus stumbled into him. When it slowed again, Morpheus shoved him away. "I said, she's not even your wife." Morpheus repeatsed, watching in amusement as Severus struggled to keep his footing.

It took a moment for his head to stop spinning, and when it finally did, Severus realized they were no longer in the shrieking shack. They hadn't apparated. Apparating felt different that what that was, but somehow Morpheus had transported them to a garden. He was surrounded by rich green grass, towering bushes, and flowering trees. Someone had taken great care to build intricate paths through flower beds lined with colored stones. Morpheus turned his back on him, moving to stand behind a large stone table. There was a body lying on it. "Freya!" Severus gasped. He started forward, but an invisible barrier blocked his path.

Morpheus laughed as Severus raised his fist to the barrier. Morpheus strode back towards him and moved through the barrier as though it wasn't there.

"Give her back to me," Severus demanded menacingly, lifting his wand towards Morpheus. His patience had worn thin. He'd had enough of the games. The trials. Whatever he wanted to call them. He was done.

Severus's head spun again, his vision blurring at the edges and the garden flashing in and out of focus. He was lying down with a mediwitch leaning over him, saying something that sounded too far away for him to make out the words. Severus reached up and gripped his throat as pain shot through him.

"No," He gasped, his voice coming out raw and hoarse as though he hadn't used it for months. He had to keep focused. He was standing in a garden in front of Morpheus who had abducted his wife. She was there. She was right there, and if he lost focus now he could lose her forever.

"Yes," Morpheus snapped back, even as Severus steeled himself against his instability, "You see it, don't you? That's real, Severus. Not a memory or some night terror come to haunt you in the daylight. That is your reality." Morpheus spread his arms, motioning to the world around them, "This, all of this, is the dream." He pointed towards Freya, "She is the dream."

"You're lying," Severus accused, still struggling to get a grip on his mind.

"She lied!" Morpheus yelled at him, barely able to keep his rage in check. Severus felt a smug sense of satisfaction to see how shaken Morpheus was by the decision he had made in the shack. It had unhinged him.

"I've spent years with her." Severus objected, hoping if he said it out loud it would help him steady himself. "We met in Hogsmeade. She saved my life during the battle. She wore a lavender dress at our wedding because she thinks white is boring. It was made of silk and lace."

"All lies," Morpheus snapped back, "All part of the the dream she created to make you love her!" Morpheus lunged forward and gripped Severus's head between his hands. Memories flashed before Severus's eyes, pulled forward to the front of his mind and then fading until Severus saw them for what they were. When he was done, Morpheus released him and Severus fell to his knees, breathing heavily.

"What did you do?" Severus demanded, glaring up at him. He didn't have the strength to stand.

"Who was at the shrieking shack with you, Severus?" Morpheus asked mockingly, taking a step back away from him.

"Freya," Severus answersed without thinking.

"Was she?" Morpheus challenged, studying him expectantly.

Severus frowned, dropping his gaze to the ground. His memories of her weren't gone... but they no longer felt real either. They existed somewhere between the lines of what he remembered and what he wished had happened. As his mind cleared, his throat began to burn. Severus lifted his hand to his throat where a bandage had suddenly appeared. He remembered it all now. No memory of Freya felt real now. That night he woke to Freya, he hadn't woken from a nightmare, he'd fallen into a dream. A new sort of ache washed through him, but this time it wasn't from the attack. It was the pain from losing the life he'd thought he had. "The mediwitch I keep seeing?" Severus asked softly, finally looking back up at Morpheus.

"You body is in St. Mungo's, Severus. You're unconscious, mostly, but every now and then you wake up, only for a moment. You were attacked weeks ago, not years ago." Morpheus explained, "I told you. I am God of Dreams. So long as you sleep, I can make you see anything I want you to see or feel anything I want you to feel."

Severus looked down at his hand where the acid had eaten at his skin. There was nothing there now. "And Freya?"

"She lied to you. She created those memories and implanted them in your mind to make you believe you loved her. None of it was real. You know that now, don't you?" Morpheus asked with more pity in his voice than Severus was comfortable with.

Under any other circumstances, Severus would have put him in his place for it, but right now he couldn't bring himself to. He wanted to know, had to know, "Why?"

"Does it matter?" Morpheus asked, a hesitation in his voice that hadn't been there before. "Does it change anything? She still manipulated your emotions for her own benefit."

"Did you kill her?" Severus demanded sharply, his eyes flashing back towards her body on the stone table.

Morpheus laughed, "No, of course not. I keep my promises. You've done as I asked and made it though my trials. I will uphold my end of our bargain as well. The only question is, do you still want her?"

Severus stood up, stumbling forward. Now that he knew the truth, he could feel it in his bones. Every single part of him ached, and any energy he'd imagined having was gone. He was thoroughly exhausted, body and mind. Still he pushed himself towards Freya. Morpheus watched curiously, but this time there was no invisible barrier keeping him from her. Now that he was closer, Severus could see her chest rise and fall with each breath she took. Relief flooded through him.

"Severus, it doesn't have to be this way." Morpheus said softly. "With one, single word I can make all of this go away. If you turn away from her, I can and will return your spirit to your body, and you will have a second chance to build a life for yourself. A real one. A real life, without war and misery...and rank, filthy dungeons. You could move away from Hogwarts and start over. You will have years upon years to do with as you please. Find a nice witch. Have your own family." As Morpheus spoke new visions danced in the garden around them. A woman with red hair dancing with children that looked like him. A small house with a garden. Everything Morpheus thought Severus would want. "All you have to do, is say yes. Say yes to me, and I will give you your future."

"And Freya?" Severus demanded, "What will happen to her?"

"Your memory of her will be like any other dream. It will fade." Morpheus answered, "You will feel no guilt for choosing life over her. How could you? She was never real to begin with. Nothing you had with her was real, and nothing you ever could have would be real. Freya will be what she has always been, nothing but a dream created by a lonely mind desperate for hope and compassion, desperate to create a light where there was none."

"What if I say no?"

Morpheus blinked. "Then you will remain comatose. You will have no life. Nothing but a dream that will prosper you nothing." Mopheus sighed and rubbed his eyes "Don't think of it as sacrificing her, Severus. She was never yours to begin with. Dreams don't belong to mortals. They are fleeting and fading. She's NOT real, and if you don't say yes, you won't be either. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life asleep?"

Severus turned back to Freya, brushing the hair back from her face. Morpheus was lying to him. He had memories of her from before the night he woke up in her room. There was more to this than Morpheus was telling him. "You're wrong. This wasn't the first time I dreamt her. I loved her before all of this. I didn't need the false memories for that."

Morpheus swallowed hard enough that, Severus could hear it, and he knew he was right. He could remember it clearly now. She had made appearances in several of his dreams over the past year. She had been his light where there was none, even when he had known she was just a figment of his imagination, and if he said no, he could stay here in a dream with her for the rest of his life. What was he really losing by not going back? He was headmaster of a school destroyed by war. Even if the Order of the Phoenix won, they hated him for what he'd had to do to stop the Dark Lord. They would only ever see him as the deatheater who murdered Dumbledore. If the Dark Lord had won, and he found Severus still amongst the living, it would only be a matter of time before he tried to kill him again. There was nothing left for him there.

Something light and feathery brushed against his mind. He could feel it just as easily as he would have felt it if someone had physically touched him. "Its ok," Freya's voice whispered in his mind, "You're ok. Its over now. I know you, Severus. You don't deserve to be haunted by your past forever. You won't lose me." They were the words she'd first spoken to him that night. Their true meaning suddenly hit him. She had known what he'd just experienced. That it hadn't been a nightmare. In her own way, Freya really had pulled him from the shrieking shack.

"This is the perfect place for us," Severus said out loud. That was what she had told him the morning Morpheus had taken her.

"What did you say?" Morpheus frowned, disbelief filling his voice, as though he was certain he had heard him wrong.

Severus turned back towards him. "Even if all of this is a dream, what I feel for my wife is not. If waking up means losing this part of my reality, I don't want it. My answer...my final answer, is no. Give me back my wife."

Morpheus lifted a gloved hand and took his top hat from his head, tilting his head at Severus as though he still didn't believe what he was hearing. "Really? You said no? You choose to stay?"

"I choose Freya," Severus replied sharply, daring him to question him again.

"That is incredible," Morpheus murmured, placing his hat back on his head. Morpheus lifted his other hand, opened his palm, and blew a silvery dust at Severus.

Darkness swam at the edges of his vision and Severus stumbled forward. "Morpheus!" Severus called out angrily. Morpheus smiled and turned away from him. Severus's vision blurred and he fell to the ground as Morpheus disappeared into the garden.


	9. Chapter 9

"You're welcome," Morpheus's voiced echoed softly. It was the first thing Severus heard when he woke up in St. Mungos.

"Oh good! You're awake!" A young mediwitch said excitedly, clapping her hands together as though Severus had done something amazing.

"No, "Severus groaned, fighting against a sudden heaviness that had settled through his body.

The mediwitch frowned at him, "Don't be silly. Of course, you are."

"I can't be," Severus objected, lifting his hand to his throat.

The mediwitch, grabbed his hand and pushed it away. "Don't touch that, dear, we still need to look you over and make sure you've healed properly. I know it must feel like a miracle, but you survived, Headmaster Snape. Better yet, everyone knows the truth now, about how you were fighting you-know-who from the inside. Mr. Potter made sure of that. You have nothing to worry about. We've all been taking such good care of you."

Severus barely heard half of what she said. His eyes were darting around the room searching for Morpheus or Freya or any sign that he was still dreaming. "No!" Severus snapped suddenly, startling the mediwitch. "This isn't what I chose! Morpheus!"

"Umm..." The mediwitch stuttered, backing away from Severus as he threw the blankets off of him. They had removed his robes, and the hospital gown they had dressed him in barely covered the necessities now that he was moving around. "You really should lie back down, Sir."

"Where is my wand?" Severus demanded, quickly going through the table and drawers next to the bed. He found his wand in the second drawer.

The mediwitch touched his arm to get his attention, but Severus quickly turned his wand on her. "Keep your hands off of me!" Severus snarled at her angrily.

The mediwitch jumped back away from him, and when Severus turned his wand back to himself to transform the hospital gown into black robes, the mediwitch ran from the room. "Madam Flora!" She cried as she disappeared into the hall.

Severus rolled his eyes and left the room, headed in the opposite direction of where he'd seen her run.

Once he was out of St. Mungo's Severus apparated. He apparated to where he thought his home with Freya had been, but it was nothing but an empty lot now. He apparated to the potions shop he had shared with her, but it was a bookstore. He even apparated out to the lakehouse he'd bought her for their anniversary. This one hurt the worst. The lights were on inside, but another family was sitting at the dinner table, talking animatedly with each other. Nothing was the same. Everything was gone.

By the time Severus made it back to Spinners End, the moon was shining brightly overhead. Severus couldn't help, but feel like it was mocking him. He shut the door behind him, went into his parlor, sat down in his chair and let his head fall into his hands.

"When you've finished moping, I am ready to be worshipped with gratitude." Morpheus said happily, his arms wide open as though he expected Severus to immediately fall to his knees and so.

The ache and exhaustion in his body immediately disappeared, replace with a rush of fury that Severus could barely contain. "Gratitude? For what?" He snarled, "This isn't what I chose! I passed your tests! Why did you send me back here? Where is Freya?"

"She's not your wife," Morpheus reminded him gently.

"What did you say?" Severus demanded, quickly moving towards him. Severus gripped the front of Morpheus' leather jacket and shoved him back against the wall. Morpheus only smirked, vanishing from Severus's grip and reappearing behind him.

"I said she's not your wife. At least not yet. Freya is my daughter, Severus." Morpheus confessed.

Severus quickly turned to face him. "Your daughter?"

"Tell me, why do think Morpheus, the great and mighty god of dreams, would bother to save the life of a mortal wizard, pull him into the dreamscape, and then take the time to test his character?" Morpheus asked, his tone of voice suggesting he thought Severus ought to be thanking him for all of those things.

"You tell me." Severus challenged, weariness beginning to catch up with him again. It left a hopelessness in his gut that he was all too familiar with. "I loved Freya. I loved my life with her. If your intentions were to take it from me and send me back here, you should have let me die in that shack."

Morpheus leaned towards him with a mischevious glint in his eyes, "Now where's the fun in that?"

"Is this all a game to you?" Severus asked accusingly.

Morpheus hesitated a moment before answering. "You're still as daft as you were when I first pulled you into the dreamscape, mortal. It baffles me that she chose you of all people. I am Mor-phe-us." He said his name slowly, stretching out each syllable as though he thought if he just said it slowly enough, maybe Severus would finally understand. "I don't play games. I play with dreams, and I am a father. Tell me, if it were you, what would you want for your daughter? An imagined life, that would only ever be a dream...or this?" Morpheus spread his arms wide. "Reality. An opportunity, around every corner, to make her dreams come true? A life always just out of reach, or a life of hope and promise? I admit, I wasn't thrilled with the idea at first. This world isn't kind...but there comes a time when every parent has to let their creation stand on its own."

"You brought her here?" Severus asked in surprise.

Morpheus shook his head, a sly smirk firmly back on his face. "No, Son. You brought her here. I doubted your ability to do so each step of the way, but you proved me wrong." Morpheus turned his back on Severus and began walking the perimeter, examining Severus' living space. Severus watched him closely as he pulled a book from his bookshelf and flipped to the back page. "Hmm...I'm taking this." He tucked it underneath his jacket and it vanished.

"What does the book have to do with Freya?" Severus objected raising his eyebrows at Morpheus's audacity.

"Nothing, I just want it." Morpheus admits.

"What do you mean I brought her here?" Severus demanded. It was a struggle just to keep Morpheus on topic, and it infuriated Severus.

"I mean exactly what I said." He answered, "You brought her here. With my help, of course, but still, mostly you. You see, as the God of dreams, I can live any life I desire. with any sleeper that I desire. If I decide to keep them, they simply stay asleep forever. However, any children I have there become dreamborn. Sleepers, like their mother, and they will remain asleep their entire lives, from birth to death, unless the impossible happens. The impossible, for what sort of man could ever, honestly and unconditionally, fall in love with a woman eternally asleep?"

Severus's eyes narrowed. He pushed himself up on his toes before dropping back to his heels, stretching the muscles in his legs as he let Morpheus's confession sink in. He stretched his fingers as though he itched to slip them around Morpheus neck, but he didn't take another step. He was beginning to understand."You didn't pull me into just any dreamscape. You pulled me into hers."

"Now you're catching on," Morpheus's smile widened. "As my daughter, she is not just any sleeper. She does have the ability to slip into the dreams of mortals, though she won't have as much control over them...that is where you met her. At some point in your life, she found you, and Freya liked what she saw, so she kept returning again and again. You knew her before you ever met her. I believe that is why you settled so easily into her dreamscape. It was already familiar to you, whether you realized it or not, and you became exactly what she needed, that clever girl. You see, the only way a dreamborn will ever wake, will ever have a chance at a real life, is if they are woken by true love. Cliche, I know, but I don't make the rules, I only manipulate them. Of course, I had to test you first. I couldn't give my daughter to just anyone. If you had failed the tests, I would have let you die." He admits with a frown. Severus's eyebrows shot up at his blatant honestly. Morpheus continued without giving him a chance to respond. "You passed them, much to my disbelief, and you chose her over reality, Severus. You chose to give up everything in exchange for a dream with her. Your love made my daughter real...so I healed you, woke you from your sleep, and brought you back for her. You're welcome."

"You also burned his hand with acid, made him fight three dragons without a wand, tried to convince him to murder someone, and then told him I was a liar who could never be anything real for him." A female voice retorted. "I'm sure we are all so grateful for your assistance, father."

"You should be." Morpheus insisted, turning on his heel to face her. "I told you to wait outside."

"Freya?" Severus breathed. Part of him no longer trusted what his eyes showed him.

"I've waited too long, already." Freya answered, her gaze finding Severus's. "What do you think, Severus?" She asked him as she moved towards him. "Should we be grateful"

Severus stepped towards her and realized he had forgotten to breathe. "Of course," He answered, his words dripping with sarcasm, "Who wouldn't be grateful for such eye-opening methods of torment?"

"I suppose your job is done, then," She said to Morpheus, turning back towards her father. "We are, so grateful, and would be even more grateful if you could find it in you to give us some privacy."

"Finally, I get some recognition around here," Morpheus sighed. Severus tensed as Morpheus pulled her into a hug, but a moment later he was walking towards the door. He hesitated with his hand on the door knob. "Oh, and Severus, should you ever mistreat my daughter, do remember...I am also the God of Nightmares. I have plenty of play things much worse than dragons."

Before Severus could reply, Morpheus slipped out of the room, letting the door snap shut behind him.

Freya nervously turned her attention back to Severus. "Are you mad?"

Severus stepped towards her, slipping one hand around her wait and the other into her hair, "Do I know you?" He teased her softly.

Freya smiled, "Do you want to build a dream with me?"


End file.
